


The New Guy

by damnedluckebi



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Family Angst, Family Fluff, Flashbacks, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Pining, Sexual Tension, Summer is alive, Swearing, Two adult men flirting because they can, domestic AU, slight nsfw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:40:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 18,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25419343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnedluckebi/pseuds/damnedluckebi
Summary: It all started with an early morning for Qrow, the birds chirping outside, the sun slowly rising, the moving truck roaring...It annoyed him to wake up early like this but maybe just maybe, for once, his luck would turn around in his favor.
Relationships: Clover Ebi & Elm Ederne, Clover Ebi & James Ironwood, Clover Ebi & Vine Zeki, Harriet Bree & Clover Ebi, Marrow Amin & Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen & Raven Branwen, Qrow Branwen & Raven Branwen & Ozpin, Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen & Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen & Yang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 107
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone!  
> Welcome to the beginning of the fic!  
> I'm up for ideas on how you would like to see this go so please, brainstorm away in the comments!
> 
> Love, your boi,  
> Roohbee <3

It was _6\. fucking. am._ Qrow was still in bed and it was his day off but of course a lot of noise had to be made right outside his window. He tossed and turned in his bed as he tried to sleep through all the noise, covering his ears with his pillow. _Just my fucking luck._

After what seemed to be an eternity, Qrow kicked off the sheets from on top of him, begrudgingly getting off his bed, yawning as he walked over to his window, drawing back the curtain slightly to see what the hell was going on. He squinted, adjusting his vision to the blinding light from the morning sun. 

As his vision finally adjusted, he noticed a moving truck right next door. Qrow rolled his eyes.

 _Great...new neighbors. Just what I needed._

He huffed, wanting to draw back the curtains again before noticing a man leave the vehicle and start to take out the boxes located behind the truck. From where Qrow was, he could only tell that this man was built quite well, his hair short and brunette, and the way he walked...he looked like a soldier. Maybe a part of the military or marines? He wasn’t sure. He was intriguing to Qrow, to say the least.

_Maybe Mr.Brown Hair wasn’t so bad to look at after all..._

He chuckled to himself before closing the curtains once more. He pushed his hair back as he looked over to his bed. He WAS planning on going back to sleep after he found out what the hell was making all that noise but….the guy seemed pretty damn attractive….at least, that’s what Qrow hoped. It was decided. He was going to meet the new guy. He prayed to whatever deity was up there that he did not fuck this up. 

**~*~**

Qrow had made sure to look presentable enough before leaving his house, inhaling to calm his own nerves down before exhaling again, running his fingers through his hair as he looked over to the truck, still in its place. He had noticed that there were less boxes. He made sure to lock up his door before walking over to this new guy’s house, fixing his rolled up sleeves out of the nerves that were spiking through him. 

He was not the type to greet new people around here, not the type to bring gifts to the new neighbors- hell, he never even visited the people around the neighborhood, but here he was, and it was all because he thought the guy looked kinda cute. He stopped walking when his eyes caught the moving truck, thinking that maybe it’d be a better idea to wait for the new guy there. He crossed his arms as he looked up at the sky, feeling the cool breeze blow onto his face, sending a small chill down his spine. 

He couldn’t help but close his eyes, a small smile on his face as he hummed. He hadn’t been out at this time in so long, he forgot how nice it was. The world was rather quiet around this time, if you didn’t count the truck of course. By the time Qrow usually did wake up, he could hear kids outside, laughing and chattering away. It wasn’t that he hated it, he just preferred when things were quiet. 

Before he knew it, he heard a door opening and closing, his eyes immediately snapping open as he looked to where the sound was coming from. He inhaled sharply, the figure getting extremely close. 

_Oh no….he’s hot._

Qrow swore he could feel his cheeks start to burn and he cursed himself for it. 

Like in those movies, everything became slow, the hot new guy walking forward towards Qrow slowly as he seemed to wave at him. Qrow couldn’t help but wave back slowly. His eyes couldn’t help but start at his physique. _His biceps...chest...and that jawline-_

“Hello?” Qrow snapped out of his trance. “W-Wha-” “Are you ok sir?” The man asked Qrow, noticing him zoning out in the middle of the road. Qrow shook his head. “U-Uh yeah, I’m okay.” He said as he looked into his neighbor’s eyes. _They were fucking gorgeous._

They stood there, silently staring into each other’s eyes. Qrow felt like he maybe stared for too long before he cleared his throat. “Uh, right...Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice you just moved in.” Qrow said as he patted the moving truck. “What makes you say that?” The new neighbour asked, slightly giggling to himself. Qrow couldn’t help but rolled his eyes and smiled as he crossed his arms again. 

“Name’s Qrow Branwen by the way, live right next door.” He said, pointing at his house. The stranger beamed. “Clover. Clover Ebi. Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Branwen.” He said formally, his hand went out to let Qrow shake it but Qrow declined as he pushed his hand away. “I uh….just call me Qrow, no need for my last name.” He said with a shyer smile, not being used to being addressed by his last name. 

“Qrow…” Clover said, testing his name in his mouth, feeling the words run smoothly through his lips. “I like it.” He said as he cocked his head to the side, giving Qrow a fond smile. Qrow rubbed his neck as he smiled and turned his gaze towards the truck. “So uh, do you need any help? I’d be willing too.” Qrow offered, not sure how he was even feeling right now. 

“Well, I _could_ use a little bit of help….do you mind?” Clover asked, not wanting to bother Qrow at all knowing what time it actually was. Qrow let out a soft laugh. “‘Course not. Why’d I be out here in my pajamas otherwise?” Clover was amused as he watched Qrow turn to the back of the truck, bending down to get one of the lighter boxes. Qrow made sure he gave Clover a show. He turned his head back as he noticed Clover trying quite hard not to stare. “Well? Gonna just stare or join me here?” Qrow asked as he noticed Clover’s cheeks burn just a little, walking quicker towards the truck as he stood next to Qrow, taking the lighter box Qrow chose, both carrying it inside as they continued chatting throughout the whole ordeal. 

_This...was going to be quite the eventful day._


	2. Chapter 2: The Beginning (Part 2)

Just like that...things got more interesting with Qrow each day. He’s come out of the house more often now funny enough. But just right on the front porch. Nothing less nothing more. His reason? Clover. _Obviously._

Every time he would come home from work, he’d find time to just sit outside. Clover really did love hanging out of his house. It was a joy to watch. He’d notice some of the moms who’d brought their kids out chat with Clover and Clover’s charms really did work well. He’d aimlessly roll his eyes knowing full well Clover wasn’t interested in them- or well, not interested in women.

The conversation got brought up the day he was helping Clover move in. After Qrow had shown a little bit of his strutting skills with the boxes, Qrow had gotten quite curious. He wasn’t about to flirt with a dude who wasn’t going to show any damn interest in him, not after last time. He’d learnt his lesson. Of course, that was a topic for another day.

“Well that’s that.” He said, dusting his hands off on his pants as he stood up to stretch. “Thank you Qrow, I really appreciate it.” Clover smiled brightly. Qrow swore he could be blinded but those perfect teeth in his mouth. It was white and well kept and Qrow felt himself squint just a tiny bit from his smile. “Yeah it’s no big deal….” He trailed off mid sentence, remembering a quite noticeable thing about Clover, the thought coming back to mind. “..You’re really big....Do you just..work out alot or..?” He asked, not even noticing how his sentence was structured.

Clover’s eyes widen as his face grew a little red. “E-Excuse me…?” Qrow blinked a few times, suddenly finding Clover adorable. “What..?” Clover coughed as he looked away. “Uh, I’m going to assume y-you meant muscle mass not the other thing..uh..” He chuckled nervously. And that’s when he realized.

_Oh..fuck._

“Y-Yeah! Uh- I meant- You’re pretty jacked! I just- I was wondering!” Qrow sputtered out, earning a laugh from Clover. “I-It’s okay, I understood it, don’t worry.” Qrow looked down awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Anyway, uh, yeah, I do. It’s mostly out of habit now honestly. Used to work in the Navies. Got all the way up to vice admiral before I had to leave for uh, personal reasons.” He said as he looked down. It looked almost like...fear and sadness…? Qrow wasn’t sure. “I got an honorable discharge thank gods. Working there had been a lot of fun if I do say so myself.” He said as he opened one of the boxes and took out a picture frame. 

Qrow found him quite..interesting. He listened to Clover’s stories, both sitting on the new couch as Clover continued telling him stories of the navy. It amused Qrow a little as Clover reminded him a little bit of how a Dad would tell stories to his kids. _He’d be such a good dad_...Qrow smiled at the thought as he found himself staring into Clover’s eyes and nodding, not even listening to him really. He heard Clover’s voice drowned out in the background and all he could see was him and how close they were together. His eyes wandered down more, now looking at his lips. He wondered how it would feel like to kiss them. He wondered how soft they were. He wondered if-

“Qrow?” Clover called out, an amused smile on his face. “You’re zoning out again.” Qrow snapped out of his trance once more as he looked back up into Clover’s eyes, his cheeks burning just a little bit from embarrassment. “Sorry, uh, I guess it happens a lot.” Clover let out a small laugh. “You did wake up earlier than usual if I could recall.” Qrow laid back down on the Sofa’s headrest. “Well, that’s not exactly true, it’s just that I happen to have off today. I work a desk job and well let’s just say I don’t get holidays that often.” 

Clover looked apologetic as he followed Qrow’s motions, laying back down as well as he looked at him. “If I would have known I wouldn’t have asked for your help Qrow. I’m sorry you should go home and rest some more now, I don’t want to interfere with your day off.” He said with a small smile Qrow shook his head and smiled back at Clover. “I uh, I haven’t really had time to get out of the house and look around the neighborhood and talk to the people living here so fuck it.” Clover turned his head up as he closed his eyes. “Well, I think you’ve been great to have around.”

Qrow felt his cheeks redden a little from the compliment, not used to getting them. “Uh, thanks.” He said, before staring at the stacked boxes to the side. He inhaled before finally asking what he had wanted to before the whole story telling started. “Do you uh, live here with anyone else?” He asked as he turned his gaze back to Clover. “Nope, just me.” He said, with his smile. _God he really needs to stop smiling, it’s too fucking vibrant._

“You don’t have a..girlfriend?” Qrow asked, silently hoping he was not into women. I mean, he did give off a very VERY gay vibe- But, he could always be wrong. Clover shook his head as he chuckled nervously. “Uh, well, I’m still single...and uh not straight.” Qrow silently fist pumped as he nodded in understanding. “I see. Uh, that’s cool. But how do you not have a boyfriend yet..looking like...this?” Qrow genuinely asked. Clover let out a small laugh. “Well, what can I say? Not a lot of gay guys out there interested in me I guess.” Qrow closed his eyes. “Well their loss really.”

And so they talked and talked while Clover began to unpack, Qrow helping him in the process. Qrow hadn’t felt this way with someone in such a long while and he couldn’t help but smile and laugh at all of Clover’s dumb jokes. Clover had made sure that Qrow drank and ate that day, forcing bottles onto him and food to the point where Qrow had gotten way too full, which ended up in Qrow passing out on Clover’s couch from how tired and full his stomach was for an hour or two. 

_It was the start of a beautiful friendship._


	3. Chapter 3: Fun Times

Another day, another work day for Qrow. He had woken up early again, but this time for his job. He worked a desk job, starting at 8 am but boy was it far, so Qrow had to wake up around 6, sometimes earlier, to avoid any kind of traffic. He hated working so far away but it was his only option. He planned to quit and move once he could find a much more suitable job. 

He got ready, making sure to get his tie on and his suit, hating it already as it made his whole body sweat even quicker at the heat. He had no time for breakfast as he walked quickly out the door, briefcase in hand. He sighed as he opened the car door, throwing his briefcase to the other side, before sitting down and slamming the door shut, sighing as he rubbed his temples. He sat there for a while, stress over taking him as he started the car. 

He continued sitting there, feeling all kinds of tired before hearing a knock on his window. He looked over and saw Clover there, smiling. He huffed as he rolled down his window. “So going to work?” Clover asked, his smile getting wider by the second. Qrow sighed. “Yeah...what’s up?”

Clover brought up his hand as he handed Qrow a bag through the window. “Here...I thought you might want something to munch on on the way there.” Qrow’s eyes widened as he shook his head. “Hey woah, no no, I don’t need this, keep it.” 

“Hey.” Clover said sternly, making Qrow look up at his eyes. “Take it.” He said, his voice catching Qrow off guard. Qrow felt a twinge of fear as he nodded and gulped and took the bag. “Yes sir.” He replied before placing it next to his briefcase. “Good.” Clover suddenly smiled again. 

_Stupid Military men._ Qrow rolled his eyes and smiled back. Qrow couldn’t help but stare into his eyes a little longer before snapping out of it, remembering he had work. “Thanks...I’ll be going now.” Clover moved away from the car as he nodded and gave him a little wave. Qrow nodded in acknowledgement as he rolled his window back up and started pulling out of his driveway, Clover watching as he drove away.

**~*~**

Qrow couldn’t help but smile at their small interaction as he continued focusing on the road, not letting his mind wander too much. It had been a few weeks by now. Clover and Qrow seem to interact a lot nowadays. Clover would mostly be the one coming over for the nights, either to just chat or possibly just hang around. He’d noticed that Qrow didn’t exactly cook himself and so sometimes Clover would end up making food for them both. It was nice having Clover around even if he did feel bad, it’s as if he was being pampered a little too much by the man.

He'd remembered after the whole moving thing, the next week on a Saturday, Qrow was hanging out on his porch again, wondering what Clover was doing. He’d noticed how Clover hung out with the kids. It was cute. He would play around with them and watch over them. It was an adorable sight. He of course had to take a few snapshots of the whole ordeal. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at his phone.

Soon, Qrow felt someone’s presence right in front of him. He looked up to see Clover smiling at him. Qrow jumped a little, shocked at Clover suddenly being there. _Must’ve stared at my phone a little longer than expected._

“So, what’re you doing all alone out here?” Clover asked as he moved to sit on the empty seat Qrow had in his front porch and Clover looked at him. Qrow looked back at him and smiled as he put his phone away. “Just...taking in the cold breeze I guess. I rarely get out anyway so might as well.” Clover nodded in understanding as he looked forward again, watching the kids play. 

Qrow couldn’t help but stare at the man. His features were soft at the moment. Clover’s hair gently waved in the breeze. “You know Qrow…” He began. “...You really are an old man.”

_...what?_

Clover let out a laugh as Qrow huffed. “Come on you should come play with us!” Clover said as he stood up. Qrow crossed his arms. “No, I’m not going too!” He said as he pouted. Clover smirked as he leaned forward and booped his nose, catching Qrow off guard as his face grew red from bewilderment. “I know you want to~” He whispered. Qrow glared at him and huffed again. “Fine….asshole.” Clover smiled at himself, satisfied as he suddenly started to run. “LAST ONE IS A ROTTEN EGG!” Qrow groaned as he stood up and smirked, immediately running after him. _Oh he’s going to regret that…_

**~*~**

It had gotten dark when the kids were all finally back home as Qrow started to walk home. He had a lot of fun that day but..he didn’t want to leave Clover...not yet at least. He looked back as he saw Clover starting to head home as well. “Clover?” He called out, earning a smile from a curious Clover. He inhaled sharply as he tried to get his courage up to ask. He looked down and up again at Clover before speaking. “Do you uh...wanna have dinner over my place?”

Clover looked taken aback by the sudden invitation, his smile falling a little before he beamed again. “Sure.” Clover said as he walked over to Qrow, looking a little tuckered out. Qrow hadn’t quite noticed this until Clover had come closer to him. 

Once Clover stood right in front of him, Qrow gave him a look of concern. “You...look tired. Are you sure you wanna come?” He asked as Clover gave him a small chuckle. “I’m fine...come on.” He said as he started walking over to Qrow’s front door. Qrow sighed as he joined him, walking right behind him.

He was concerned but of course his eyes decided to wander down to Clover’s ass, watching it sway as he walked. Qrow internally groaned at himself as he continued walking, this time trying not to stare. 

As soon as Clover reached his porch, he turned to face Qrow and waited for him as Qrow opened the door, letting him in first before Qrow closed the door and made sure to lock it.

“Welp, welcome to my hell hole.” Qrow said with a tiny chuckle, starting to walk over to his kitchen, letting Clover’s eyes wander a little. His house was kind of a mess and Qrow knew this, he however did not give a shit. Clover chuckled softly as he noticed the mess, not seeming to judge him in any way or form. Clover did not comment on the mess as Qrow opened his fridge and realized he barely had any energy to cook anything. He sighed as he closed it again. He stood up and stretched his back as he cracked his neck before walking out of the kitchen, planning to order something before his eyes widened at the sight he was seeing.

Clover was picking up some of his stuff and placing it in its respective area. “Clover what the hell?” He asked, his eyes watching Clover. “I’m cleaning up for you, what does it look like?” He said, chuckling softly as he put some books away. “You don’t have to do that..” Qrow said as he stood there, feeling a little dumbfounded. “Hey don’t worry about it. This is just a little thanks for helping me with my stuff.” 

“But all that food was enough…” Qrow said softly as he looked down. “Well, I didn’t think it was so I’m going to help you clean up. I can cook if you w-” “NOPE! Not letting you cook. Especially when you’re already being helpful. I’ll go cook. You stay here.” Qrow said, quickly going into the kitchen, suddenly more determined to cook than he ever was.


	4. Chapter 4: Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning : Nightmares, Sad Clover.

“Qrow!” Summer exclaimed as she gave Qrow a cup and beamed. “Good Morning!” Qrow smiled softly as he took the cup of coffee from his workmate before setting his food and briefcase on his desk. 

Summer was always cheerful at work and it made his day a little less stressful to know that someone else there was at least happy. 

“Morning, Sum.” He said as he drank some of the coffee and placed it down before sitting. Summer cocked her head noticeably in curiosity. “Is that..breakfast?” She asked, sounding almost genuinely shocked.

“Yep.” He said as he opened the bag. “So you’re finally eating breakfast?...Holy _shit_.” Qrow huffed. “Hey, just because I decided to bring in food today doesn’t mean I don’t normally eat breakfast.” Summer looked at him unamused as Qrow continued opening the bag, taking out food from it. It was a Bagel and cream cheese.

“Qrow Branwen, we’ve been friends for what..20 years now? I think I would know you well enough to notice when you haven’t eaten breakfast yet.” Qrow chuckled softly, ignoring her completely as he felt his heart flutter from the delicious food Clover had given him.

It was true what Summer said. They had met in college and they had been inseparable ever since. A lot of people even mistaken them as siblings at one point and they always had a tiny chuckle out of it.

Summer suddenly gasped. “Did someone get a new boyfriend~?” Summer teased as she smirked and poked his shoulder. Qrow’s eyes widened as his face grew red and almost choked on his bagel. “What!? No! Sum come on!” He said as he huffed and drank his coffee again, preventing him from choking.

“Oh~ Such a shame. I thought that hot neighbor of yours would finally confess his undying feelings towards you!” She joked as she dramatically posed. Qrow groaned as he continued eating. Summer giggled before patting his hair gently. “Don’t worry you big lonely baby, Mr.Hot man is going to finally tell you how much of a good looking man you are.” Qrow finally cracked a smile before pushing her away gently.

“Okay, okay...just go back to your damn desk before the boss sees us..” He said with an amused smile. “Yes sir!” She said before walking away. Qrow shook his head and rolled his eyes at her as she walked away, starting up his computer as he started going back to work.

 **~*~**

Qrow’s mind wandered as he tried to do his job, tapping away on his keyboard as his head throbbed from a sudden headache forming, trying to answer an email that was killing him.

He sighed as he laid his head on the desk and stayed there as he took a pencil and started fidgeting with it. His mind found it’s way to Clover. He thought of how cheerful the man was….and how much he was actually hiding.

His mind wandered back to that Saturday again. Qrow had finally finished cooking that day as he finally sighed and noticed the house was weirdly quiet. He did hear soft snores from the other room as he placed the food down. He walked out of the room and peaked, Seeing the room clean and spotless while Clover was passed out on his couch. 

Qrow smiled as he walked over and sat on the empty space next to Clover’s head, looking down at his sleeping figure. He bit his lip before he moved his hand cautiously to Clover’s head, his fingers gently playing with his short hair.

_Holy shit it’s soft…_

Qrow became braver as he continued stroking his hair gently, his smile widening as his face grew a little red, enjoying the feeling of his fingers going through Clover’s hair. It was soft, even better than how he imagined it. 

Then, Clover suddenly move, Qrow moved his hand immediately as he felt his heart race, hoping he didn’t wake up. Clover stopped after he mumbled a few words and then….silence again. Qrow felt himself relax, and exhaled, not realizing he was holding in his breath the whole time.

Qrow brought his hand down again as he now caressed his cheek, feeling the soft skin underneath his finger tips. He couldn’t help but move his thumb to his lips, slowly letting it trail across them, feeling his cheeks heat up even more.

_This was a bad idea..I should move-_

Suddenly Clover spoke in his sleep. “ _No_ ….” He said as his eyebrows knitted. Qrow moved his hand away again in shock as he watched Clover, wondering what he was dreaming about. Clover mumbled again as his breathing became heavy.

_Is he...having a nightmare?_

Qrow wasn’t sure what to do as Clover now writhed a little. Qrow felt anxious watching him writhe like this, wondering what to do. “ _C-Clover..?_ ” 

Clover sat up quickly before he felt cold sweat going down his face and neck. Clover held on to his head as he continued breathing heavily. Qrow’s eyes widened as he looked down and then back at Clover again. “H-Hey...are you ok?” He asked as he gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

Clover winced at the touch before snapping his head back, his eyes wide from fear, before realizing who it was and slowly put his guard down. “Q-Qrow..I…” 

Qrow was in shock, seeing Clover look this scared and this anxious. He felt his heart clench, seeing him like this. Qrow gently stroked his back. He had nightmares once before...maybe a little comfort should help?

“Hey….It’s ok...You had a nightmare..” Clover slightly relaxed, his breathing slowing down as he took in a shaky breath and looked away before looking down, Qrow continuously stroking his back. “F-Fuck…”

Clover cursed under his breath. Qrow looked at him apologetically as he scooted just a little closer to Clover, worried out of his mind for Clover. He then remembered how when he was younger, his parents would help him with his nightmares in a way and thought that it might work in this situation.

“Do...Do you wanna..talk about it?” He asked softly. Clover finally looked up at him and Qrow swore he saw the man was close to tearing up.

“I….”

“No..it’s okay. You don’t have to...come here…” He said as he opened his arms to Clover, letting him know that he was ok with hugs. Clover hesitated before shakily leaning over to Qrow and wrapping his arms around him and burying his head in Qrow’s chest. 

After a few seconds, he could hear tiny muffled sobs from Clover. Qrow gently stroked his back as he gently hushed him and let his cheek nestle into Clover’s hair. 

They stayed there, in each other’s arms for a while, Qrow comforting him and telling him all was okay and that’s when Qrow saw a side of him he’d never thought he would see.


	5. Chapter 5: Family

It had been a much more tiring day than Qrow had realized. Paperwork after paperwork was put on his desk, email after email he had to reply to. Being an assistant manager really was quite the stressful job. 

He sighed as he wiped his face and packed up his stuff, wanting to just go home. He yawned as he hummed and noticed some of his co-workers waving goodbye as they headed off home to their respective homes and families.

He continued focusing on packing up before his mind wandered again. He wondered what it would be like to go home to a family. He wondered what it would be like to have kids running at him to welcome him home.

Well he kind of had that just that he was an uncle. Of course he loved his nephews but they weren’t really his. He did feel particularly close to one of them. Ruby, Summer’s kid. She was always so adorable and tiny.

He remembered the first time he had held her in the hospital. She looked just like Summer. She was so small and fragile. He felt like if he held her the wrong way, he would drop her. Now, she has grown. She was 16 and an incredible kid. She was quite the smart cookie. Summer ended up letting her go to university before she even finished high school and Qrow had to admit, he never admired anyone more than Ruby.

And then his other niece. Yang. He wasn’t particularly close to her but she was exactly like her mom in a lot of ways. She was older than Ruby by two years and it kind of amused Qrow how both of them were now in university. Qrow loved seeing the two together. They always had quite the close relationship and it brought a smile to his face.

“Hey Qrow! Wanna go home together?” Summer piped up as she walked over to his desk, snapping Qrow out of his thoughts. Qrow placed the rest of his stuff in his briefcase as he looked up at Summer and smiled. “What’s the occasion?” 

“Oh nothing, we just haven’t really had time to chat together! Rae’s with the kids and Tai is on a school trip with the teachers and students so I have a reason to come home a little later today.” She said with a grin.

_Rae.._

He sighed. He hadn’t heard her name in so long. He felt his face fall a little. Summer placed a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?” She asked, her voice sounding quite concerned. Qrow stayed silent as he started carrying his suitcase. Summer sighed. “You really need to talk to her one of these days Qrow. I know how much you missed her...she does too.” 

Qrow clicked his tongue. “Let’s not talk about this right now…” He said, sounding monotone as he walked passed Summer, his face looking a little angry. Summer looked on at him and shook her head in disapproval of Qrow’s actions before staying quiet and following him. 

Qrow stopped in his tracks as he looked back at Summer. He felt guilty. He didn’t like getting angry or annoyed at her. Summer had always been a good friend. She always gave out the best advice and for once Qrow decided maybe he should listen this time instead of jumping around the conversation.

“I’m...sorry. I promise I’ll go talk to her when I’m ready.” Summer smiled as she walked right beside him. “Come on then, let’s go home.” She said as she walked forward before stopping in her tracks and looking at Qrow sheepishly. “You...brought your car…. _right?_ ”

 **~*~**

Dropping off Summer took longer then expected. Course, Qrow wasn’t complaining. Summer was great to be around. They caught up for the first time face to face in who knows how long and Qrow felt a little less stressed, especially when he saw Ruby again. 

Ruby barreled through the door as she excitedly hugged Qrow through his window. Ruby insisted on Qrow staying, but knowing Raven was there, he had to decline Ruby. Yang was also there smiling as she watched the two talk. Qrow finally said goodbye to the three as he left and drove back home. 

He finally parked his car as he huffed and closed his car door. He rolled his shoulders, hearing a small crack as he walked inside his house with his bag, tossing it to the side of his stairs before going up to his room to change out of his suit. It was too stuffy for him. He had always hated wearing a suit.

He started stripping, leaving his boxers and socks on before getting one of his over sized t-shirts and wearing it, feeling much more comfortable now before tiredly walking over to his bed and laying on it, snuggling up to his pillow. 

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door. He groaned but decided to get up and walk down his stairs.

_Probably Clover._

He tiredly rubbed his eyes before opening it and and looking at the man with a tired smile. “Hey..” Qrow said. He noticed how Clover had gotten red and his eyes were wide. Qrow cocked his head as he leaned slightly on the door. “Shamrock, you good?” He asked, genuinely concerned for the man.

Yep. Both were on a nickname basis..it was a little one sided though. Qrow wasn’t sure if it was a little weird to nickname the man to his face but once he did, Clover seemed to find it funny so he kept it.

Clover cleared his throat and sheepishly looked away. “Yeah...yeah I’m good. Uh...can I come in?” He asked with a small smile. “Mkay...don’t expect me to be all happy-go-lucky though…” Qrow moved away from the door as Clover went in. Qrow closed the door as he yawned again.

“Did something happen at work?” Clover asked as he looked at a tired Qrow. Qrow hummed in response, as if agreeing before letting himself fall unto the couch and laying there face down. “Do you wanna talk about it?” Qrow looked over at him and shook his head as he stayed silent.

Clover nodded, his gaze averting from Qrow before sitting in the empty space on his sofa and let his back lay there. “So uh...I needed to tell you something.” Qrow looked up, a little intrigued as he moved closer to Clover, laying his head on his lap, turning over so he could face up to Clover. 

Clover’s face turned a little red at how cuddly Qrow was being. Qrow continued trying to stay focus on Clover. “Apparently..my water pipe is having problems and uh...it kind of burst. They told me they might need a week to fix it so uh I needed some place else to stay and was wondering if..if you were okay with me staying here for a week.” 

Qrow blinked a few times. 

_If I agree..Clover is gonna stay here...that means I’ll get to see him..wake up every morning...and sleep...in his boxers....oh I bet he looks hot- FOCUS._

Clover waited anxiously for his answer as Qrow tried to calm himself down not wanting to say something he would regret. “Yeah, of course you can. Did you think I would say no?” He joked, not wanting to show how excited he was by the idea of having Clover around him for the next whole week.

Clover sighed, relieved, before smiling widely at Qrow. “You don’t know how grateful I am right now...Qrow, thank you..” He said in a soft tone, causing Qrow’s heart to flutter a little. Qrow instinctively let his head nuzzle Clover’s thigh as closed his eyes. It felt nice. He was too tired at this point to even think twice about doing this.

Soon, he felt fingers going through his hair as he smiled even wider and let out a hum. He wanted more but soon he felt sleep start to take over him. He let his arms wrap around Clover’s arm before finally letting sleep take over him.


	6. Chapter 6: Charms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! This chapter's a little short this time, sorry bout that! I just really didn't want to keep y'all waiting- I swear It'll be a little longer tomorrow so hope y'all are doing well!
> 
> Love,  
> Roohbee <3

Qrow slowly woke up as he blinked a few times, letting his eyes get used to the light before sitting up and looking down.

_Blankets…?_

He looked around the room and realized he was now in his own room. He was slightly disappointed. 

_Oh so was Clover staying here a dream?_

He sighed as he wiped his face and looked at the time. _8 pm._ He groggily got out of bed, going to his bathroom and an the water before wiping his face with it, the water waking him up a little. 

He left the bathroom and stumbled down the steps, smelling food. He squinted his eyes as he made his way to the kitchen. 

He noticed a suitcase next to his couch and wondered where it came from. He went to inspect it before noticing an obvious four leaf clover on the front of the suitcase. 

_Wait...so it wasn't a dream?_

He placed it down gently before spinning to go back to where he was going and was dumbfounded when he saw a man standing, cooking food as he heard Clover singing to himself. 

Qrow smiled at hearing him sing and leaned on the entrance of the kitchen. He stayed there, loving listening to Clover's voice. He couldn't really tell what he was singing, all he knew was that Clover's soothing voice really did make the song much more appealing to Qrow.

Qrow watched Clover silently cook as his eyes wandered over his figure. Qrow noticed the man really did love wearing sleeveless tops. This time, he noticed a cute little detail on his arm...well his right arm.

_So he really likes drawing huh?_

There were tiny black birds on Clover's arm and it made Qrow smile even wider. 

_Gods he's both hot and adorable...how the hell did I end up meeting this man?_

Before he knew it, Clover turned around looking quite shocked as he almost dropped one of Qrow's plates with food on it. "Qrow! I uh...I didn't see you there.." Clover looked away, his cheeks burning just a little.

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle as he smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "I see you sing and draw." Clover cleared his throat as he placed the food on the kitchen counter and his smile seemed to falter a little as he looked at his arms before letting out a nervous chuckle and smiling again.

"Y-Yeah...I draw a lot...well I only really do scribbles here and there when I'm bored." He said as he looked into Qrow's eyes and a small smile tugged his lips.

Qrow could notice something was...off. He decided to not bring it up for the time being. "So uh, Shamrock, did you carry me to bed..?" Qrow asked, immediately changing the subject.

Clover nodded as he smiled much more genuinely now. "I did. I didn't want you feeling uncomfortable using my lap as a pillow so I thought it'd be much better to let you sleep in bed."

Qrow felt his heart flutter again as his grin became wider. He absentmindedly fidgeted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks…" He said before crossing his arms again and stood up straight as he took the plate from the counter and hesitated before gently kissing Clover's cheek.

He didn't notice the way Clover stiffened as he brought the two plates on the kitchen counter over to the dining table. He looked up as he saw Clover, standing a little too still.

Qrow found this amusing as he cleared his throat to catch Clover's attention. Clover looked over to him as he blinked a few times and cleared his throat. "D-Dinner...right." He commented silently before sitting right across Qrow. Qrow couldn't help but let out a soft giggle as he watched the man struggle to eat without zoning out once in awhile.


	7. Chapter 7: Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mentions of PTSD, Nightmares, Sad Clover

"Okay so, the guest room should be around the corner Cloves, but I think you know that...you've been here more times than my fingers could count."

They had finally finished dinner as Qrow was now washing their dishes. Qrow had insisted a few times for Clover to settle in instead of working himself to the bone with cooking and cleaning. Clover agreed after god knows how many times. 

"Alright. Thank you again Qrow. I really can't thank you enough for this." Clover smiled as he left the kitchen and went to get his suitcase and settle himself down in his room. 

Qrow could feel himself smile as he continued washing each dish with efficiency. He was somehow thankful that Clover's pipes burst. Course he wasn't going to say it to his face. He wasn't that kind of asshole.

Once he was done, he heard the door open again. Qrow was drying his hands when he heard Clover come back from his room and held a towel in his arms with his toothbrush and other necessities.

_This man really was well prepared._

"Uh Qrow? Could I use your shower?" Qrow snorted as he nodded. "Course you can. You are staying here after all." He playfully punched Clover's arm. "You really need to relax a little. Treat this place like your own house okay?"

Clover chuckled softly. "Alright. I'll try." He said as he turned and had a wide smile on his face as he left to go use the guest bathroom. Qrow knew Clover knew his way around the house already. He'd been over so many times, Qrow felt like Clover was a roommate of his. He of course was not complaining.

 **~*~**

Qrow was now back in his room, all showered and ready for bed. His hair was a little wet as he laid in his room, turning on his tv to watch his show.

He mindlessly flipped through each option, not finding anything appealing as he sighed. He decided to turn it off as he laid there and turned, hugging his bolster tight, letting his face nuzzle into it as his mind wandered to Clover again.

He was now right there in the same house as he was. He wondered what Clover was doing now. He wondered what he was wearing….does he wear boxers only? Does he wear pants? He wondered if-

He groaned as he wiped his face. He needed some sort of distraction. He took his phone and squinted at the brightness as he looked up at the time. _11.40 pm_. He unlocked it and opened his messages as he shot Summer a text, telling her about what happened that day, trying not to sound excited as he tried not to spam her too much. 

Qrow knew how much Summer loved her sleep and he was sure she'd probably be asleep at this time so he decided to do something else for the time being, hoping she would reply soon.

As he was about to close his messaging app, he noticed another name on there.

_Raven._

He inhaled sharply as he let his finger linger on her name. Should he shoot her a text? He wasn't sure. He did promise Summer to at least try talking to her.

He and Raven well...they didn't really have the best relationship. Something happened between them concerning their job. Raven had worked with Qrow as well until their old boss, Ozpin, decided it was a good idea to use Raven.

Qrow saw how tired Raven was. Both hadn't realized that Oz had been playing them and Raven finally left while Qrow stayed. Raven had been pissed at Qrow as he continued staying at his job. Qrow at the time didn't realize he too was being used until something had happened to Oz. He left and went missing and to this day, no one knew what had happened to him.

Qrow decided maybe tonight wasn't a good time to finally talk to his sister and decided to distract himself through other means... _like sleep._

He sighed as he placed his phone on the nightstand and tried to close his eyes and drift away to sleep. He wasn't able to earlier but maybe he could soon. 

He tossed and turned as he tried to sleep but all he could think about was Clover. He groaned as he kept his eyes close, trying his hardest to just sleep.

_Why can't he sleep?_

Even if he was thinking of Clover, he could only feel distress..like something was wrong with Clover. He couldn't point out why but, that's all he could feel. It wasn't like anything was wrong with Clover...right?

As he turned again, he heard a knock. Qrow sat up as he cocked his head, not sure if it was an actual knock or his mind playing games with him.

" _Q-Qrow…?_ "

_Clover? What's he doing at this time? and...why does he sound so scared?_

" _Are you...awake?_ "

Qrow sat there, unsure what to do. He could feel his heart clench at Clover's voice. He had to let him in.

"Yeah..I'm awake. Come in." The door gently opened as Clover looked like he was shivering. Qrow's eyes widened at Clover's shaking figure. 

Clover slowly and shakily closed the door as he rubbed his arm and looked like he was calming his breathing. Qrow got out of bed as he cautiously walked over to Clover and placed a hand on Clover's cheek as he gently made Clover look over at him.

"Clover...did you have another nightmare?" He asked softly before Clover nodded slowly and bit his lip as he closed his eyes and laid more into Qrow's touch, looking a little calmer as he relaxed more into Qrow's touch.

Qrow couldn't help but notice more black birds on Clover's arm in the darkness of the room. He looked up again at Clover. "Have...you had these nightmares alot..?"

Clover shakily nodded again. Qrow sighed as he looked at him with a softer look. He had to smile for Clover.

"Come on...sit on the bed and you can talk about it if you want too…" Clover opened his eyes as they looked watery and Qrow gently led him to sit on the edge of the bed. Qrow took Clover's right hand and let his thumb circle around the top of it as Clover shakily started to speak.

"I...I've had these n-nightmares...for a long while now…" Clover started as Qrow listened. Clover looked up at Qrow, trying not to tear up as he looked down again. "They all...They're all about..those..soldiers...and the gunshots and.." Clover finally let a tear fall.

Qrow knew about those soldiers who had such bad nightmares after leaving the military, but seeing it firsthand really felt different. He could feel Clover shaking more and wasn't sure if he should stop Clover or let him continue. He could only stay silent as he listened.

"These...birds...they help me. I've drawn...I draw on my arm to help with..with the nightmares…" Clover sniffled as Qrow moved his hand away from Clover's before bringing him into a hug.

" _Clover...I'm so sorry…_ " Qrow whispered out as he tried to stay strong and try not to cry himself. It hurt him, hearing Clover having to go through this. He can't imagine how hard it must be, sleeping alone all this time without any comfort. It hurt Qrow knowing Clover was going through this alone.

Clover stayed silent as he buried his head into the crook of Qrow's neck. Qrow gently stroked his back as he let Clover cry. He could feel Clover cling to him for life and Qrow let him. 

They stayed there for far longer than Qrow had realized. He had noticed how Clover's grip had lessened as Clover sniffled and pulled away slightly as he let out a small pathetic chuckle before looking down. "I..I'm sorry Qrow...I didn't want you getting roped into this…"

"Hey." Qrow said, copying the way Clover would suddenly be stern with him. Qrow cupped his cheek and tilted his head up as he looked into Clover's eyes with a serious look on his face. "Don't apologize for something you can't control Clover. I'm not mad. In fact, I'm happy that you trust me. Please, next time you have a nightmare, don't hesitate to talk to me. I care about you Clover." He gently moved forward to place a kiss on his forehead.

Clover's breath hitched as Qrow pulled away. Qrow smiled softly at him, pushing away Clover's stray hair as he looked into Clover's beautiful teal eyes. 

Qrow had noticed how he was staring before looking away and clearing his throat and feeling his cheeks turn red a little. "A-Are you..ok to sleep now? I can keep you company for a little..if you want."

Clover fidgeted nervously before looking at Qrow and then down and then at him again. "Is...Is it okay..if I..stay with you..?" Qrow nodded as he walked over to his side of the bed and beckoned Clover to join him and smiled at him.

Clover crawled over to Qrow before he hugged him and laid there with Qrow. Qrow nestled his face into Clover's hair and smiled as he wrapped his arms around Clover tightly.

" _Love you…_ " Clover whispered out before finally sleeping peacefully in Qrow's arms.

Qrow's eyes shot up at hearing Clover's words, his heart jumping and racing. His mind raced as well as he shook his head.

_Could have been just sleepiness talking._

Qrow decided to even push all hope away before closing his eyes and finally sleeping, His arms protectively holding Clover.


	8. Chapter 8: Likely Story

Qrow let his eyes snap open at the sound of an alarm next to his bed. He groaned as he realized that he had been holding another figure under him. He moved his arm towards his phone, trying not to awake the sleeping brunette as he turned off his phone. 

Unfortunately, the noise had woken Clover as well. He hummed as he nuzzled into Qrow’s chest, too tired to open his eyes. Qrow softly hummed as he gently stroked the back of Clover’s head. “ _C-clover...I need to get up..I have work.._ ” He said in his groggy morning voice, making it sound deeper than usual.

“ _Noo...don’t go…._ ” Clover whispered out as he hugged Qrow tightly. Qrow couldn’t help but let a smile tug on his lips as he continued stroking his head, playing with his hair once in a while. “Shamrock...I’m going to be late…” He said again, his voice soft as he tried to struggle out of Clover’s death grip.

Clover slowly looked up with his tired eyes and messy hair as he let out a small chuckle. “ _Okay…_ ” He whispered out again, his voice sounding much deeper as well. Qrow felt his heart jolt and his face redden as Clover gently let go. 

“Stop that.” Qrow said with an annoyed tone but the grin on his face gave away his true feelings.

“Stop what?”

“Stop being cute you fucking dork.” He said as he poked his cheek playfully before rolling off the bed. Clover’s whole face lit up a little as he averted his gaze. Qrow let out a soft chuckle as he pulled the blanket over Clover again, Clover giving him a questionable look. 

“You had a long night Cloves...I think you need more sleep…” He said as he smiled at Clover. Clover shook his head as he got out of bed. “No no, this is your bed, I’ll go back to mine and you can start your day.” He said with a wide smile.

Qrow was so worried last night he didn’t realize what Clover was wearing. 

_He’s shirtless….I cuddled him shirtless last night. Holy fucking shit._

Qrow felt his whole face heat up as he looked down and rubbed his neck before clearing his throat. He stood there, not knowing what to do, going back up to stare at Clover’s body. “Y-Yeah...sure…..” He trailed off before Clover winked at him and left the room.

_Oh fuck me…._

**~*~**

Qrow found himself struggling with the tie he had always used, somehow not being able to get it right as he tried to run off outside. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Clover waiting and leaning on the front door.

“Weren’t you going to bed?” Clover chuckled softly as he walked over to Qrow and looked him over before starting to fix his tie. Qrow held in his breath, not knowing he was doing so. “I was...but I decided to see you out first. It’d be rude of me to let you go after last night..” He said softly as he expertly fixed Qrow’s tie before pulling it up and placing a hand gently on Qrow’s chest before looking up at him and smiling softly.

Qrow couldn’t help but stare back into his eyes. Their bodies were so close together. The fact that Clover was still shirtless was not helping Qrow calm down. His heart started racing. Clover’s hand was right on it and he knew deep down he could feel it.

Qrow started leaning a little bit forward, his eyes looking down at Clover’s lips before he looked back up to his eyes again. He was still holding his breath as he leaned forward a bit more, Clover not moving away either.

_Love you…._

Those words played again in his mind as he was inches away from Clover’s face. His nerves started kicking in as he now panted softly.

_No...Not right now. What if he hates you after this?? Qrow come on. Focus. You have more important things right now!_

Qrow snapped out of it as his face turned red before pulling away as he coughed and looked away. Clover’s face seemed just as red as they stayed silent. Qrow shyly gazed up at Clover before rubbing the back of his neck. “I uh...I’ll see you when I get back..” Qrow said, his voice soft and shy.

“Y-Yeah...you too…” Clover said as he had a cute smile on his face. Qrow wanted to keep that smile on him forever. He immediately left before things got more awkward and his heart continued racing as he finally left the driveway, his mind racing to what had just happened.

_I almost kissed him…_

Qrow brought up a hand to his lips as he still focused on the road, his fingers gently brushing against his lips. He remembered when he had felt Clover’s lips on his thumb, wanting badly to know how it would feel like on his lips.

_Is it really as soft as it feels on my fingers? God I bet he’s a good kisser…_

Qrow sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, and shook those thoughts out of his head. Now was not the time he should be distracting himself. He was on the road. He had to focus.

**~*~**

“You better tell me everything or I will squeeze every bit of information out of you, Mr.Secrets.”

Both co workers were on lunch break now. They both had scheduled to have it at the same time as Summer seemed to almost go nuts on Qrow for not answering her texts messages about the certain incident that happened between Clover and Qrow about Clover staying over.

“I’m sorry, Sum. I swear I meant to text you back but I got so distracted-”

“Did you two….” Summer’s voice suddenly lowered as she leaned forward on the cafe’s table to whisper to Qrow.. “ _...have a little bit of fun this morning~?_ ”

Qrow was in the middle of drinking before he started choking and his face grew red. His eyes were wide as he glared at a now giggling Summer. “You are the fucking worst.” She stuck her tongue out playfully. “I know I am~”

Qrow rolled his eyes and smiled as the redness on his cheeks died down. “It..wasn’t anything special. He had a nightmare last night and we..we ended up cuddling. In the morning he helped me with my tie and we...almost kissed…” Qrow sounded shy as he pushed a lock of hair behind his ear, almost like how a high school girl would look like with a crush.

Summer was smiling widely. “Qrow, Oh my gods he likes you! Come on! You need to tell him!” Summer exclaimed a little too loudly, getting looks from nearby tables, Qrow having to shush her down.

“But..what if he doesn’t like me back? _What if he's just being nice?_ ” Qrow said as he looked down, looking a little sadder. Summer huffed as she crossed her arms. "Qrow Branwen you are the blindest person I’ve ever met. Who on earth would want to even remotely get close to kissing someone they don’t find attractive and or cute?”

“Actors.” Qrow said, as a matter of factly. Summer gave him a look of disapproval. “Are you in a tv show or movie right now?”

“..no.”

“Case and point.” She said as she took her drink and took a sip out of it before putting it down again. “Come on Qrow, you really need to make a move! You’ve been so much happier after you met him! He seems to like you too!”

“I don’t know Sum...I’ll...I’ll have to think about it…” He sighed before running his fingers through his hair again, looking out the window of the cafe.

_Him...liking me back? Likely story._


	9. Chapter 9: Relax

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So~ I know I didn't post yesterday. I swear I'm trying to post daily but alas, I've been busy drawing. I hope y'all can forgive me XD (Again, it's a little short due to me being a dum-dum and focusing too much on drawing) Anywho! Here it is- another chapter for everyone! Hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> Love,  
> Roohbee <3

Another work day, another stress day. 

After that little break Qrow had with Summer, it made Qrow more..uneasy. He wasn’t sure now what to do. He didn’t even trust his gut anymore. Qrow had just..gone with the flow..now it did not seem like a good idea. Of course he didn’t voice his thoughts. He wasn’t about to get shit from Summer again..not right now at least.

He couldn’t help but sigh as he got in his car again, fixing his mirror before looking into it. 

“You..dumbass. Look at yourself...He’s never going to like someone like you...face it.”

Qrow looked into his own eyes before shaking his head and running his fingers through his hair before looking away from the mirror and slowly pulling his tie a little to lessen the pressure on his neck before placing both hands on the wheel. 

_Stop that. You need to stop that._

He let Summer’s voice say in his head. He tried to protest before Summer spoke again.

_You are amazing, Qrow. You are worth every drop of blessing you get. Clover is one of the blessings you have in your life at the moment. Appreciate him. You know he does. Embrace it._

“God even Summer sounds scary in my head...Alright…”

Summer had really changed him in so many good ways and he couldn’t thank her enough. Summer knew his knack for having all those..toxic thoughts. Summer had rewired his brain to the point where whenever it happened, Qrow would use her in his head to try to shut them out. It worked much better than Qrow had expected at first.

Qrow kept Summer in mind as he let a smile slip his lips as he gripped onto the wheel and started driving. If he could just focus on Summer and the road, those thoughts might just lessen and stop.

 **~*~**

Qrow finally got home again before huffing and fidgeting a little. He opened his door before shutting it again and looked around, wondering where Clover was. He sighed when he didn’t see him, somehow feeling a little calmer before he left to go upstairs, pulling off his tie fully before laying it on his shoulder, opening his door gently before his eyes snapped towards his bed, noticing a figure under the sheets.

_Is...Is he sleeping in my bed?_

Qrow shut the door gently as he placed next to the table. He walked over to his bed and saw that Clover looked so calm now. The other times he had seen Clover asleep, he wasn’t really doing so well. Right now, it was a rare moment to see him this calm.

Clover was really hugging his pillow tight. He had a tiny smile on his face as the strands of messy hair fell on his face. It was...adorable. Qrow felt a smile creep on his face. 

_Clover...you don’t deserve to have those nightmares...you’re so precious…_

He sat on the edge of the bed quite gently, making sure not to make it creak before gently pushing the hair on his face out of the way, making sure not to wake him.

Qrow pulled his hand away. He couldn’t help but gently press his lips on his forehead before whispering.

“ _Sleep well, Shamrock..._ ”

His voice was laced in so much love before he stood up. He didn’t want to leave. He really didn’t want to. He wanted to be here for Clover just in case but gods he needed a bath. He was tired and needed a bath. He looked over at Clover once more before he turned to leave to go to the bathroom.

_Clover has really got you wrapped around his finger now._

**~*~**

As soon as he walked into the bathroom, He closed the door behind him and huffed as he started stripping, leaving his clothes in the basket he had specifically kept on the corner of the room. He noticed it was empty.

_Did Clover really get those too?_

Qrow let a small smile tug his lips before throwing his dirty laundry in it. He stretched before he started filling up his tub, making sure the water was warm..possibly hot. He placed in as much soap as needed before aimlessly scrolling through his phone while waiting.

He put on some music, on the side. It sounded..melancholic. The melody sang by the singer sounded sad and so were the words. He sang softly along, getting out of tune a few times but he had no shame. He was alone at the moment after all.

He wasn’t going to lie, when he heard Clover’s voice, he envied it. But alas, it wasn’t his talent and he wasn’t going to complain. The good thing about that is he gets to hear Clover sing more and he really loved the idea of Clover serenading him. He wondered if Clover could play an instrument.

The last time he was over at his place, he had noticed a piano and a guitar. He wondered if Clover used those instruments a lot. It’d be interesting to hear him play. He regretted not asking about it the day he helped him move in. He made sure to remember to ask later.

As the song continued, he finally turned off the tap, sinking into the water gently before letting a soft satisfied sigh escape his lips. He closed his eyes as he laid there, relaxing in the warmth of the water whilst singing along to the song, his voice still out of tune.

_Let every worry dissolve. Think about it later. Right now just focus on relaxing._


	10. Chapter 10: A New Point of View

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been busy, how y'all doin? Forgive me for going awol like this XD  
> I swear I'll go back to normal updating schedule X3
> 
> Love,  
> Roohbee <3

Clover woke up as he held his head in his hand, looking around before he remembered he had slept in Qrow’s bed. He sighed as he smiled softly as he hugged the blanket and nuzzled his face into the pillow, taking in Qrow’s scent. _It smelt so good….._

Clover hadn’t felt this great in so long. He hadn’t even remembered sleeping this well alone. It was amazing how just thinking about Qrow can put him at ease.

The other night when he had his nightmare again, he woke up gasping for air. It had been one of his reocurring nightmares. He hated them so much. He really did. As much as he loved the military and working in it, it had a lot of its own downsides, one of its downsides was having all these nightmares.

 **~*~**

_“Clover, you aren’t fit to serve as of the moment.” The general said, his face full of concern as he was sitting at his desk. “But sir, who will take over?” Clover asked, standing there feeling quite nervous. “That is none of your concern, Admiral. I only wish you well and safe back home. Do take time off before you come back.” He said with a tired smile._

_Clover wasn’t sure what he should do. He wanted to continue serving but General Ironwood was right. He wasn’t fit for the job...at least not like this. Clover felt...devastated. He sighed before he walked out, ready to pack his stuff before Ironwood called on him again. He looked back._

_“It wasn’t your fault…” Ironwood said in a more serious tone. Clover sighed and smiled, nodding. “Thank you.” Clover turned back to leave, feeling worse than he had before._

_He knew it wasn’t his fault but... **why did he feel as if he was at fault?** _

**~*~**

Clover was content at this moment. He felt happy for once, like all of his problems didn’t matter at this moment. He sighed happily before he decided to check the time, turning on his phone and squinting at it due to the light being quite bright in the darkness of the room. _6.30 pm._

_Wait….shouldn’t Qrow be home by now?_

He immediately got up, pushing the blanket off him before he fixed the bed frantically trying to fix it to not leave evidence that he was even there. As soon as he finished he suddenly heard music. He raised an eyebrow as he followed it, finding himself at the bathroom door. 

_It must be Qrow...that means he- oh gods…_

He felt his cheeks flushed as he covered his face with his hands. He felt embarrassed knowing Qrow must have seen him sleeping in his bed. He leaned his back on the door trying to compose himself. 

_**CRASH!** _

Clover accidentally pushed the door open, falling directly on his ass, yelping as he fell, surprised out of his mind as his heart raced. He blinked a few times trying to understand what had happened as he looked to the side to find a shocked and red faced Qrow, trying to slide a little deeper into the water, his mouth agape.

Clover tried to process what had happened as he met Qrow’s eyes before his already red face grew redder. “I uh….” Clover choked out, trying to form a sentence.

_Qrow is naked. QROW IS NAKED. GET OUT._

Clover scrambled up as he coughed, trying not to make the already awkward situation much more awkward. He noticed Qrow getting even redder as he couldn’t make a sound and stayed silent.

Clover finally pried his eyes off of Qrow before looking away. “I-I’m sorry I’ll be going out now, e-excuse me…” He said as he left and closed the door finally before leaving with wide eyes, trying not to think about a naked Qrow which he definitely saw nothing of.

Clover couldn’t be thinking of Qrow like this. Not right now. He’s his neighbor and he happens to be nice... _and hot_. He needed to calm down. He was going to go nuts.

He immediately left to go to the kitchen, continuing to try to forget about the scene he saw. Why was he so attached to the image? All he knew was that his racing heart and red face were really getting worse the more he thought about it.

_I need a distraction...maybe cooking?...fuck.._


	11. Chapter 11: Used to

Qrow had to blink a few times to calm himself. He was trying to process everything as he tried not to scream, holding his hand to his chest as he was going deeper into the water, leaving his nose up above the water. He felt his heart race as he felt himself heat up even more and he knew it wasn’t because of the bath water.

_IS THIS FUNNY TO YOU GOD? IS THIS WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND FOR COMEDY CAUSE IT AIN’T FUCKING FUNNY!_

He knew he had some sort of bad luck surrounding him but he wasn’t expecting anything like this today. He brought his hands up to his face as he groaned in dismay, wanting to hide forever. He knew Clover saw something. He knew this. He bit his lip as he looked away. 

Qrow looked up as he decided to leave the tub before another thought came to mind and his eyes widened.

_Why….why was he okay with it?_

Qrow shook his head. He can’t be that deep down the rabbit hole yet with Clover….right? The thought of wanting to be touched by him, gently letting Clover’s hands outline his whole body, gently going down and touching his-

“ _F-Fuck…._ ” Qrow’s thoughts were wandering to places it shouldn’t as he tried to not think about it, unplugging the drain before turning on the shower to rinse himself. As his hands roamed he felt heat start to pool to his crotch before he sighed, turning on the cold water. He really didn’t want to deal with this right now. Not when Clover was literally in the same building as he was.

 _Why did the idea excite him even more?_  
.  
.  
.  
 _Qrow, no. Restrain yourself. You are a damn old man. You shouldn’t be doing this. It’s not cute._

Qrow made sure the water was even colder as he continued to try to distract himself with things he could see in the room.

After a few more minutes he sighed and turned off the water, the urge to touch himself still there but it was slightly gone and not as obvious at least as he ran his finger through his hair finally stepping out as he made sure to dry himself well before starting to put on his choice of clothing for the night. He had decided to wear his favorite onesie today, a crow onesie. It was a good idea especially in his flustered state to wear something baggy in case... _something_...happened.

He dried his hair with the towel once more and made sure to not let water drip down his hair before he finally left the bathroom, ready to face Clover…

Okay, maybe not ready, but calm enough to face Clover. He inhaled before he left his room to smell food. _Of course._

He walked down the steps in his slippers, his heart racing again knowing he was about to face him after the incident. He decided to act like nothing happened as he sat on the dining table table, a wall dividing the kitchen and the dining area. He let himself cool down as he awaited and laid on the table, focusing on the bookshelf across the room.

He knew all the books by heart as he focused on each one again, distracting himself from the real problem at hand, not wanting to deal with it just yet.

He played with the hood of his onesie before he heard footsteps. He inhaled before starting to sit up straight, closing his eyes for a second before opening them to see an obviously awkward Clover with a plate of what seems to be spaghetti, placing one in front of Qrow before sitting down and placing the plate in front of himself.

Clover rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down. “I-I’m sorry for earlier Qrow..I really am. I didn’t expect that door to open like that..” He said, looking almost as guilty as a child stealing candy from a candy store. Qrow chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s okay Cloves...let’s just eat now yeah?” He said as he waved him off. 

As Clover tilted his head up to look at Qrow and say something, he seemed to suddenly forget how to speak. “Cloves?” Qrow asked, his voice full of concern. 

“Y-You have a crow onesie..?” Clover asked as he looked at him. Qrow felt a little embarrassed about it as he was usually home alone when he wore it so he wasn’t expecting that reaction from Clover. “Uh...yeah.”

“And I thought you were an old man.” Clover teased. 

_…...are you fucking kidding me?_

“And I thought you were nice, turns out you were fucking rude. My bad.” Qrow said as he huffed and pouted slightly, trying not to smile as he tried to eat, Clover letting out a laugh as he himself ate.

_Now this was more of what Qrow was used to._


	12. Chapter 12: Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!Spoiler Warning: Tangled: The Series and Tangled!!

“Listen Shamrock, obviously Cassandra is the superior character.”

“ _Excuse you_ , obviously Flynn is the hotter one.”

“Okay okay, I can agree, obviously Flynn is hot but Cassandra is the better character.”

The two were bickering about the TV show they were watching. Tangled: The Series. They had decided to have a little time together to watch a show they both could enjoy and found out the two were Disney freaks and so here they are now, _arguing._

“Wha- Just because she has a more fleshed out character arc doesn’t mean Flynn’s worse!”

Qrow scoffed as he waved him off. “You’re only saying that cause he’s hot.”

Clover looked offended as he placed a hand on his chest. “Just because I’m a hopeless gay romantic, doesn’t mean I can’t look at a character’s qualities Qrow.”

Qrow looked at him and squinted. “Really? You sure about that?”

Clover nodded.

“Okay then tell me. What about Flynn makes him a good character?”

“He’s funny, adorable, headstrong, understanding…”

Clover had scooted a little closer to Qrow as he continued to stare him down with a winning smirk.

“..He also changed for Rapunzel and showed how much he loved her by actually buying an apple instead of stealing one when he got to Corona.” He said as he leaned even closer, not realizing.

“And he didn’t turn evil when he found out his father was the king of the dark kingdom.” He said as his forehead was now close to touching Qrow’s.

Qrow huffed as he held Clover’s gaze. He slightly pouted. “You win this time..” He said as he stayed there, unmoving. His eyes on Clover’s before he found himself flicking his eyes down to his lips before looking back up into Clover’s eyes, feeling his face flush a bit.

Clover’s eyes were captivating. He noticed how the light shone in his eyes, giving his teal eyes much more life in them. He noticed the little specks of blue in them from this distance. He noticed how much passion were stored in those eyes and how much love were in them..

_Wait….what..what were we doing?_

Qrow felt his heart leap out of his chest as he was first to finally move away, a once smug Qrow suddenly turned shy. He brought his knees close to his chest from the floor to the sofa and laid in them as he heard Clover clear his throat, catching Qrow’s attention. Qrow looked over at him and noticed how his cheeks were also red. 

Suddenly...he felt...sadness. He thought back to the cafe and the ride home. Maybe he was right. There was no way Clover would see him that way. He sighed as his face fell and he focused back on the TV.

“Hey….are you okay?” He heard Clover ask. He must’ve noticed how dejected Qrow felt and looked.

“Y-Yeah….Yeah I’m fine…” He bit his lip before he looked over, deciding to ask Clover a question, letting the song from TV play in the background.

“Cloves...could I ask you something?”

“Uh..sure.” Clover rubbed the back of his neck as he moved his attention from the TV to Qrow.

“So uh. Let’s say I...I liked this guy and….and I maybe decided that I’d tell him that I’ve been having my eye on him. H-How do you think I should uh..tell him?” He asked as he hugged his legs,his eyes still on Clover.

Clover’s whole body seemed to tense but immediately he placed a hand on Qrow’s shoulder and he smiled at him but..it seemed a little strained.

“Well, I for one think that whoever this guy is...I’m sure he likes you back.”

Qrow blinked at him as he stayed silent and took in a shaky breath.

“You should tell him soon then if you really do like him. A simple I like you is a start right? Maybe add in a little bit of a conversation starter.” Clover smiled at him even wider as he squeezed his shoulder a little which Qrow assumed was encouragement.

“But...But _what if he doesn’t like me back..?_ ” He said with a little bit of fear in his eyes.

“Qrow, look at you. You’re sweet, kind, adorable, and attractive. You're amazing Qrow. The way you understand others and how much you care deeply about someone...Who wouldn’t want you?” Clover sounded so sincere and genuine..it almost threw Qrow off as his cheeks reddened.

_Take the plunge now or never you fucking idiot._

“A-alright…” He said as he let go off his legs and sat up a little straighter and looked Clover straight in the eye.

“Clover..” He inhaled before exhaling, his cheeks threatening to burn. “I...I think I like you.”

“Yeah see! That was good practice!”

_Wait...wait what?_

Qrow blinked a few times not understanding what had just happened. “P-Practice?”

“Yeah. You asked how to do it didn’t you?” Clover said with a much more satisfied smile.

Qrow was still stunned by the whole situation, he didn’t know how to react. He sighed.

_Maybe this wasn’t a good time…_

“Uh...sure.” Qrow said as he stood up and looked over at Clover with a small tired smile. “I’ll uh..I think I’m much more tired than I realized. I’ll...I’ll head to bed. Good night.” He said as he brought his hood up to cover the back of his head before he didn’t look up and walked away to go to his room.

_I never stood a chance._


	13. Chapter 13: Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!Spoiler Warning: Tangled!!  
> Trigger Warning: Sad Clover and Qrow & Anxiety Attacks

Clover watched as he left the room to start walking up the stairs to go to his room.

_Did I say something wrong..?_

Clover sighed as he focused back on the TV, not sure if he should go ask Qrow or stay here. Maybe the man needed some time alone? He wasn’t sure. 

He looked down as his mind went back to earlier events. 

_Clover, I think I like you._  
.  
.  
.  
 _He didn’t mean it towards me….did he?_

Clover wiped his face as he turned his attention to the TV, watching the scene where Rapunzel and Flynn were now out on the boat, singing their song together. Clover watched both characters interact, noticing how Rapunzel’s eyes would twinkle and how Flynn would look on at her with love. The way Flynn’s eyes lit up much more when he was near Rapunzel like that…. _Why was it awfully familiar?_

Clover’s mind wandered as he thought of Qrow again. He needed to go see him. He couldn’t sit here knowing Qrow might be up there feeling like absolute shit because of him. On one hand he hoped that that ‘Practice’ confession was actually real. On the other however, if it was...that means Clover fucked up badly. _He fucked up **really** badly._

Clover smiled at the TV as the song finally finished and turned it off before running his fingers through his hair, bringing up the courage to finally go up to Qrow’s room. He started to walk up the stairs, each step feeling heavier than the next, his heart slowly racing as he finally reached the top of the stairs, walking towards the door and stopping. He swallowed hard before he knocked gently on Qrow’s door, having a repeat scene of when he had to do the same when he wanted a little comfort from the man the other night.

“ _Qrow..?_ ” He whispered out, an obvious repeat of the other night. 

He waited for Qrow’s voice to tell him to come in but this time...he heard nothing. It began to worry him even more.

_Maybe he’s just asleep and you’re being too worried about him._

Clover was about to leave before he decided against it. He gently placed his hand on the handle before he gently pushed it, the door gently creaking as he looked inside to see Qrow curled up in his bed. He bit his lip gently as he came in and shut the door behind him. He repeated his name once more, a little louder this time.

“Q-Qrow..?”

Qrow didn’t move from his position but he did see a little bit of movement. He heard a soft sniffle as well as he came closer and sat on the edge of Qrow’s bed. “I...I know you’re awake…”

“Congratulations…” Qrow sounded so..bitter and tired, it almost stunned Clover.

“You didn’t seem to be doing so well earlier...I’m worried…” Clover said, going straight to the point as he looked over at Qrow who was still curled up in his bed, pulling the hood down more to cover his whole face.

“I’m fine.” Qrow said again, sniffling softly. 

_Is he crying..?_

“You told me the other night that if..if I had another nightmare I could come to you. I want you to do the same to me...please…” Clover begged, wanting to help him. He hoped what he said would at least make Qrow think twice.

Qrow silently wiped his face with his cheeks before he looked over at Clover, his face looking dejected. Clover’s heart stopped as he could only stare silently in shock and felt a little more worse than he already felt.

“Clover. Stop.” Qrow said as he looked at him and smiled...He was smiling so painfully.”I’ll...I’ll be okay..You can go sleep if you want to….It’s not your fault I promise..”

_He’s lying...I know he is…_

“Okay..”

_It’s better not to push him. I’ll let him open up when he needs to._

“I..I guess I’ll be going then. I guess I’ll see you in the morning?” He said as he stood up and inhaled shakily. “I’m...gonna go to bed too. G-Good night…” He said as he looked over at Qrow again and then started walking to leave.

“Good night, Clover.”

Clover shut the door behind him as he walked down the stairs.

_I can’t leave him like that..but I want to respect his wishes...what should I do?_

As soon as he reached his own room, he shut the door and let himself curl under the blanket, trying to go to sleep but he couldn’t. All he could think about was Qrow and what he saw. He couldn’t help but feel like he was at fault...just like before. Just like how Ironwood made him stay home. 

_It wasn’t your fault_

He clenched his fists as he felt his heart start to race faster from nervousness, His breathing becoming shallow as he closed his eyes, trying to lay on his back and think about anything else that made him happy. He started to slightly shake as his stomach churned, feeling as if he needed to throw up. He knew what this was. He needed to distract himself from his thoughts. He looked over to the nightstand and took the pen that laid there, gently opening the cap as he brought his arm up to start drawing on it.

_It’s okay….you’ll be okay. Focus on the tiny birds. It’ll be okay. Tomorrow everything will be better. Tomorrow, Qrow will be better...Qrow…._

Clover blinked away a tear, not realizing he was starting to tear up himself. Again, he continued focusing on drawing on his arm. His hand gracefully drawing even more patterns and pictures on his arm 

_Focus on drawing on your arm and everything will be okay.._


	14. Chapter 14: Time to Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Sad Qrow :')

Qrow woke up feeling like absolute garbage the next day, eyes puffy and gods he hadn’t felt this bad in so long. He went to turn off his alarm as he sat up and wiped his eyes as he sighed. He wanted to just stay home but the reason for his breakdown now stayed with him. Great.

Last night, after he left to go to his room, he had a melt down. Again, his bad luck strikes. 

_Of course he didn’t like me that way, what was I fucking thinking?_

And then Clover had to show up, making his already awful experience even worse. _Why’d he have to be here? This is a damn curse._

He sighed again. He had to go to work. He didn’t want to have to see him. It’s going to do worse then it will do good. 

_You need to stay away from him. Stop entertaining the idea. It’s no point now._

**~*~**

Qrow had finally gotten into his suit and this time made sure to fix his tie, not wanting a repeat of yesterday again and took his briefcase before he heard a door open.

_Shit._

He decided to hurry up to leave out the door but of course, it was too late. He’d been spotted.

“Qrow..hey….” Clover smiled at him. Qrow felt a clench in his chest when he saw Clover. Suddenly he felt as if he lost the ability to breath as he smiled at him.

_Act normal. He doesn’t know. It isn’t his fault._

“Hey, I was just about to leave...w-what did you want?” He asked as he stood there a little awkwardly, looking down as he fidgeted a little.

“Qrow...I’m sorry about last night. I..I hope you’re okay now.” Clover sounded so genuine and sincere and it somehow made Qrow emotional. He felt anger bubble up inside him but also he felt sadness and tears threatened to leave his eyes again. He calmed himself down slightly as he breathed in before smiling painfully at Clover. 

“Yeah, something just..happened last night. It’s fine. Forget about it.” He said as he waved the apology off. He cleared his throat. “Well, uh. I’m gonna go now. See you.” He said, almost immediately turning to leave as he wiped his eyes again, feeling the same pain take over that he felt earlier before hurrying up to leave to go to work…

_I can’t go to work….I can’t. It’s too painful. I might break down there and it’s not gonna be fun for anyone._

As soon as Qrow had left his neighborhood, he went to park to the side of the road, quickly calling his boss to tell him he was ill. He knew he would be okay with it. Qrow really was one to rarely take breaks so surely just this once would be okay.

Once he had gotten an ‘okay’ he turned off his phone and sigh, leaning forward as he laid his forehead on the top of his wheel. He breathed in and out softly. He had to go somewhere to take his mind off of everything. He remembered there being a park around here and so he decided to drive there, focusing on the road instead of his mind that always seemed to wander back to him.

 **~*~**

The park was quiet. Well it didn’t really surprise Qrow. It was this early. Not like a lot of people go out here at this time. He had parked his car closest to the park so he didn’t have to walk far away from where he was. He had ditched his tie and the outer layer of his suit as he unbuttoned the top part and rolled up his sleeves, not wanting to be hotter than he has to be out here. 

He hadn’t been here in so long. It felt..nostalgic. He walked up the steps as he looked up at the sky. He sighed softly as he continued forward, each foot step closer to the garden located in the middle of the garden, more memories would come to mind.

 **~*~**

_“Qrow come on!”_

_A young Raven had pulled and an even younger Qrow over to the garden. Qrow laughed as he followed her and as soon as they reached the garden, they both stared at awe at the rose bushes around the small canopy. Butterflies surrounded the area as the two looked at each other and smirked. They both knew what they had to do._

_Immediately both reached for the two nets that they both had in their bags before running around to try to catch a butterfly. Both almost falling as they both jumped up to catch at least one. Qrow was more agile as he was the skinnier one of the two and the younger one and so he was quicker. As soon as he neared a bush he giggled as he finally caught one. He gasped._

_“I CAUGHT ONE!” He shouted, holding the net in place as he reached over to get a jar from his bag, slowly placing the butterfly in it before putting a lid on it. He had made sure to put holes in it of course._

_Raven hurriedly ran towards him as he was now squatting on the ground with the jar on the floor._

_“Lemme see! Lemme see!” She said excitedly as she sat next to him and admired the butterfly. “She’s so pretty!” Raven exclaimed as she continued to stare in awe._

_The butterfly had mostly black on it but had the most beautiful teal coloring on it Qrow had ever seen. His red eyes continued staring at it in awe. “Should we name her..?” Qrow asked as he looked over to his twin with a still starstruck gaze._

_“Hmm…” She thought outwardly. “Maybe we should name her Raquel? Or maybe..”_

_Qrow’s eyes widened as he got an idea._

_“Shamrock!” He said with an enthusiastic tone._

**~*~**

Qrow chuckled at himself as he entered the canopy. The roses still as well kept as it was back then but this time, the sight of butterflies were a little rare. He sat on the bench as he ran his fingers through his hair as he looked over at the rose, a single butterfly on it. It looked exactly from the one in his childhood. A childhood where his sister and him weren't fighting. A childhood where Qrow and his sister were inseparable.

“Shamrock….”

Now that he looked closer...it reminded him of...of Clover’s eyes.

He inhaled sharply as he shook his head and groaned. He looked up as he tried not to think of last night again. He couldn’t afford to. He had enough of crying over lost lovers. 

_Time to forget._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a reference of the butterfly for those who were curious, it's the Papilio Blumei, most commonly found in Indonesia. Do have fun looking at it! <3


	15. Chapter 15: Another Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Dealing with Anxiety

“Qrow are you okay? Boss said you weren’t feelin too good..”

Summer had called as soon as she noticed Qrow wasn’t at work that day. Both their boss’ told Summer about him and Summer had gotten quite worried. 

“Yeah..I’m fine Sum. Just a little stomach bug is all…” Qrow lied through his teeth, not wanting to bother Summer with his dumb unrequited love life again. The amount of times Qrow had been heartbroken was...quite the amount. 

_You’d think I’d learn after the first few…_

“I’ll come see you after okay?” Qrow’s eyes widened as his sitting position became much more tense.

“Wha- Sum, no it’s okay, really. You need to take care of Yang and Ruby. I’ll be fine..” He tried to reassure her but his panicked voice was not helping his case at all. 

“Oh~ Mr hot shot taking care of you?~” She said in a teasing manner. Qrow bit his lip as he inhaled to calm himself. Qrow hadn’t told her of what happened the other night and so now Summer was still teasing him about it. 

“Qrow, you aren’t really sick are you..?”

Summer said, sounding much more serious now as she stopped her teasing. She knew immediately something was up. She always knew and again, Qrow never learned.

“No…” He sighed out as he wiped his face. “What’s going on..?”

Soon, Qrow told her everything. He told her how he barged in on accident, and then the whole confession and then his breakdown. He told her how he had felt. He hated doing this each time. He hated having to burden her with his feelings, but, he knew Summer would listen and he knew he was eventually going to have to tell someone. If not Summer, who else?

Summer sighed as she spoke.

“Qrow, listen to me. I think you should try it again. Try telling him again. Make it more obvious.”

“Summer, did you not hear what I told you-”

“Do you trust me or not?” She asked, her tone rising a little.

“Y-Yeah..” Qrow stuttered out. Summer was really scary when she got angry and Qrow did not want to deal with that. He was, however, telling the truth.

“Then I want you to tell him again. Write him a letter or something. Make sure he knows how you actually feel.” 

“Okay...I’ll uh..I’ll give it a shot.”

“Good. I’ll go back to work now. You better not chicken out Qrow, otherwise I will get my ass over there and tell him myself.” She threatened playfully.

For the first time that day, Qrow genuinely smiled as he sighed. “Okay, I promise..Thanks, Sum..” 

“No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Love you~” 

And with that, the call ended. Qrow brought the phone down from his ear as he stared at it a little before sighing and placing it back in his pocket. He leaned forward as he ran his fingers through his hair, looking to the side as he saw the same butterfly perched on another flower before it fluttered towards Qrow and then flew away.

_Guess I’ll give it another chance, Shamrock….If Summer believes it’ll work then I’m going to trust her._

**~*~**

Of course in a Qrow fashion, He ended up not doing it once he had gotten home.

_Alright, One more time. I can do this._

He hyped himself up in the car as he drove home. His heart racing nervously as he continued.

_You can do this Qrow. It’s as easy as one, two, three._

Again he hyped himself as he turned the last corner to his street, parking his car with ease. He got out of his car as he huffed and felt a little braver as he got his bag and opened the door. 

_...fuck._

As soon as he saw Clover, his whole confidence shriveled up. Every little thing he did to work his courage up again went to waste. The sight of a concerned Clover made his stomach churn as his face fell.

“Hey…” Clover greeted, a weary smile on his face.

Qrow only nodded at him before he shut the door and immediately booked it up the stairs, his heart racing once again as he finally shut the door behind him. He felt panic rise in him as he leaned against his door.

You idiot! Qrow scolded himself as he slid down the door and sat on the floor. He placed a hand on his chest as he felt his heart continue to beat quickly as he closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He needed to calm down. The more his heart race, the more his anxiety might shoot up.

_Okay...5 things you can see…_

_Bed...sheets….nightstand…..ceiling…..lights…_

_4 things you can touch…_

_Uh...floor….door...pants….skin..skin..? Does that even count? Eh..fuck it._

_3 things you can hear…._

_My pulse….uh...birds outside….the tv…._

_2 things you can smell…_

_Cologne and sweat…_

_And 1 thing I can taste….my tongue._

He felt a little calmer now as he gently stood up and went to sit on top of his bed instead of on the floor. Summer had taught him how to deal with his stress and it helped him alot. Now was one of those times where Summer’s teachings were always helpful. She really was amazing and the shit Qrow had to go through..if Summer wasn’t there for him...Qrow wouldn’t even be where he is today...Thinking about Summer did put a smile on his face.

_Okay...just tell him again tonight. Shoot your shot one last time. Trust her._


	16. Chapter 16: Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Sad Clover :')

_“Hey Ebi…..”_

_Elm, one of his most closest and well respected friends, and his underling, had seen the way Clover really broke down after a few weeks. He was hurting...and he blamed himself. No matter how many people told him it wasn’t his fault, no matter how many times people tried to drill it in his head, he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t understand.  
_

_Clover smiled up sadly at her as he packed his items from his room in the military hideout, getting ready to be deported back home..or wherever that was. This was his home. He loved it here but after what happened...he understood. He had to leave. He wasn’t in his right mind._

_“Elm...I uh...I didn’t see you there.” He said as he blinked a few times and gave her a sad smile though he was trying his hardest not to look so down in the dumps._

_“I came to say goodbye. I wasn’t sure if I’ll see you again when you actually left so…” She walked over to Clover and sighed before she brought him into a hug._

_Clover’s eyes widened as he stiffened. Elm had never hugged him like this. Elm had always gave him shoulder pats or maybe the occasional head pat to comfort him...but not like this. This was new._

_Clover slowly relaxed and hugged her back as he buried his head into the taller woman's shoulder. All his emotions from earlier that day came flooding in slowly as he felt tears start to finally prick at his eyes._

_“Clover..I’m going to miss you….promise me you’ll be okay?” She asked. She sounded so melancholic and so concerned. Clover was seeing this new side to her he had never even heard of or seen._

_“I...I hope so. I really do hope so.” He said, trying his hardest not to just come undone in her arms._

_“Elm...I...I miss him…” He finally said out loud. He hadn’t- well he tried not to show emotions over the whole incident...It was finally all coming out. A tear slipped after so long, The hug made him loosen up even more._

_“I miss him too…” Elm sounded bitter and sad at the same time. “But...You can’t let that eat you up...Clover, I know you’ve probably heard this for the thousandth time but...It really isn’t your fault...Please..Please listen to me.” Elm almost begged as Clover felt a wet drip hit his head._

_Elm was crying._

_“I’m trying too...I’m trying not to blame myself but..it’s hard. I was the one who asked him to stay put in his station when he begged to move. I should have listened to him…” Clover said as he started sobbing more and let his face bury into her shoulder even more._

_“You wouldn’t have known Clover...You wouldn’t have known Marrow would’ve gotten shot at…”_

**~*~**

Clover sighed as he moved over to his room right after Qrow bolted up the stairs. He shut the door behind him as he laid on the bed. 

_Was Qrow avoiding him?_

He sighed again as he hugged his pillow and felt sadness envelop him. He thought about last night again. Qrow acted so differently right after that. 

_Maybe he WAS telling me…_

Clover closed his eyes, getting lost in thought.

_Maybe I should try telling him how I actually feel...He’ll probably forgive me if I told him I liked him back right? But then if it wasn’t towards me..then it’ll get a little awkward…._

“Fuck…” He cursed to himself. This whole love life thing was stressful. He was not the type to actually venture into love like this. He’d always been the type to admire someone’s looks from afar or just have a small crush on the person for a while before he moved on.

He’d had crushes on a bunch of his own military men. He found it amusing thinking back to the times he’d try to avoid the showers. Elm made fun of him immensely for it. The open showers were not helping him with his case at all.

He’d remembered the whole month he had a crush on the general himself. The disaster he was. He knew the man was attractive but by the gods, he was tripping over himself, slamming into doors...he was a mess. James had noticed Clover’s difference in behavior but laughed it off. Elm and his whole friend group knew about this. Every single time Clover had another crush, either Elm or Marrow would be there teasing him, Harriet would end up sneaking photos of the guy and showing it to him while Vine….Vine was just kind of on the side, amused by all of this.

Clover frowned. He missed them. He missed them all dearly. 

_Especially Marrow._

He found himself looking through pictures on his phone again, reminiscing the moments they took pictures together. There were really funny ones they took together. Some were just plain dumb, the others were cute. He smiled at each one, laughing softly as he remembered the memories behind them. He couldn’t help but feel sadness as well.

He blinked away a few tears before setting his phone down. He had to tell him. Clover was not ready to lose another person he loved.


	17. Chapter 17: Apologies

Qrow had finally left his room, his found clenched in hand as he had written everything he had wanted to say to Clover in points, afraid of forgetting anything. Even if he was used to going with the flow, this was technically a dire situation to him and so he had come much more prepared than before. He slowly descended the stairs, not smelling anything this time. 

_Clover must’ve decided not to cook today._

He didn’t mind it obviously but it’s just weird considering how Clover had been cooking a lot recently at Qrow’s house.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he inhaled softly, raising his hand to knock on Clover’s door. He closed his eyes, his heart racing.

_This is it Qrow. Come on. You can do it._

He felt himself shake a little from nervousness, still standing there awkwardly, trying to knock.

 _Qrow for fucks sake just knock! It’s not hard._

He looked down before he finally opened them and finally worked up the courage to knock before he finally was about to land two knocks on the door before the door abruptly opened. Qrow let out a tiny gasp from surprise before he looked into Clover’s equally shocked gaze.

“Uh, hey.”

“Hi.”

Silence fell between them quite heavily as the two locked eyes.Clover finally cleared his throat and looked away after what seemed like an eternity.

“Funny you should come down here Qrow...I uh...I was going to ask you if you wanted to..hang out maybe tonight?” 

_I..I avoided him all day and yet...Shamrock….goddamit._

Qrow sighed as he couldn’t help but smile just a little bit. He looked back into Clover’s eyes, noticing just a tad bit of nervousness radiating from the other man as well. He slowly pocketed his phone.

_Perfect. We both go out to eat, maybe have a little walk around the neighborhood and then I’ll tell him._

“You know what...yeah. Okay.” 

Clover visibly exhaled in relief before chuckling softly. “For a second there I thought you were going to say no..”

“Yeah, about that. I’m sorry for last night and this morning..and for coming in and immediately running up the stairs like that. I’ve just been...thinking about some things.”

Clover looked at him with a small smile before placing a hand on his shoulder. “Well, I guess I should apologize too for trying to pry. I hope that...maybe I could’ve helped you some way or another. I just couldn’t stand seeing you like that I guess…”

Qrow looked down, feeling a little shy from hearing Clover say that and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh before hugging Clover and buried his face into Clover’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to apologize to me...that was really sweet of you...I’m just a big idiot here for not trying to talk to you about it….don’t feel bad about it okay?” Qrow said as his hug tightened around the man.

Clover hugged him back. He felt a soft feathery kiss on his temple before his cheeks heat up from it. “Okay...okay…” He said directly in his ear, making his cheeks grow redder before Qrow was first to finally pull away, pushing a lock of hair behind his ear almost shyly and shuffled his feet. 

“Well, I guess...I better put on some better clothes than...this.” He said, gesturing towards his whole outfit, which was his work clothes.

“You? Putting on better clothes? How about me?” Clover said with a laugh. Clover was wearing a sleeveless hoodie with some basketball shorts and socks. Qrow did not want to admit it but he honestly thought Clover really looked good in every damn outfit he owned. It was like this guy was just built to fit into everything he wore which Qrow found quite delectable.

“Fine fine, I’ll keep mine on. But what are you gonna wear? A suit?” Qrow asked in confusion. Clover was staying over after all, there would be no way this man actually brought a suit and tie. Right?

“Well not really. It’s just a button up and some work pants and shoes I guess? It’s nothing fancy but it should work.” 

_And I stand corrected...also Sleeves? Clover? With sleeves? Must be a lucky day for me to see that on him._

“You know, I don’t even know why I’m surprised you brought that with you.” Qrow shook his head, smiling as he crossed his arms. “You really are prepared huh, Boy scout?”

Clover sputtered. “B-Boy scout?”

Qrow cocked an eyebrow before he smirked and placed a finger on his chest. “Well you are so well prepared...and that build and hair. How can I not call you a boy scout?~” He winked before turning around, slightly cursing at himself for even flirting again but he couldn’t stop himself, this man was way too good looking to be single.

“Well, Go then. I’ll get some stuff upstairs. I’ll be down in a few minutes. Better not disappoint me with that outfit of yours.” Qrow joked before he walked up the stairs, not looking back at Clover anymore. He did not know if he would be able to control himself if he actually saw the man’s face. He could only guess what it looked like before he finally chuckled and sighed, reaching his room.

_Gotta text Summer. She’ll definitely wanna hear this mess._


	18. Chapter 18: Apologies (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, hi? I have been on break from the site awhile- sorry about that.  
> Been busy with art but I promise I'll try to update more? especially since this weekend is FGWE so yeah uwu  
> Love, Roohbee <3

Qrow decided maybe wearing his usual work clothes was a little boring for their little date. Was it even a date? He wasn’t sure. He hoped it was. 

He looked at himself in the mirror and looked at his outfit and felt it was too wrinkled, even for his own standards. He decided to change instead as he took it off and dumped it in his laundry basket. He went over to his closet in search of a new dress shirt as he hummed to himself, wondering what color he should wear. Most of his shirts were either black, red or white and it just stuck with him. He’d ask Summer for help but knowing how she is she’d want to come over to actually get him dressed. 

He remembered how when they were still in their twenties Summer was way into Tai, Qrow found it adorable. He’d watch her blushing face from the side. He always sat next to Summer throughout college and so every time Summer was staring, Qrow always caught her....he stayed silent,. He jabbed jokes at her here and there but never outright telling her that he knew. As much as Summer was smart when it came to the love department at the time she was way less experienced than Qrow was and she was always the nervous one when she started even thinking about talking to Tai or just doing anything with him or concerning him in general.

He remembered after a few months of Summer admiring him from afar she had finally spoken to him. He had to literally push her into him. Summer wasn’t mad at Qrow, in fact, she thanked him because that same night, both went on a date and things went well from there. Qrow had to admit…..he envied the two. Qrow was only able to get one night stands but the thought of staying in a committed relationship had always scared him, female and male alike.

Something about Clover...something about him just made him want it. It was like all those fears left him when the two were together. It felt exciting..exhilarating. The man made him want more than just a friendship..more than a one off thing. Just his voice alone made him melt. It’s the same type of feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. The genuine look of affection and adoration he got from Clover and the nervous feeling he got every time he was near Clover….he knew what he felt was real. He was determined to show it to Clover.

Qrow looked at each outfit before deciding on a long sleeved shirt with tight fitting jeans. He squinted as he wore them and huffed as he buttoned them. He hated the feeling of tight jeans around his waist. It always felt constricting. He wasn’t one to be energetic but he liked actually walking. The fact that he even decided to buy these for himself was quite amusing to think about.

_The things I do to get laid…_

Once his whole outfit was on him he looked himself in the mirror and unbuttoned the top two buttons and rolled up his sleeves before turning a little to make sure his whole outfit was on well. He looked himself up and down and found that he quite liked the way the jeans hugged his legs and especially his ass. He couldn’t help but smile just a little, wondering what Clover would look like in sleeves, something Qrow had been dying to see Clover wear.

After a few combs through his hair and eyeliner mishaps, Qrow was finally done. He placed everything away before he finally inhaled and left his room, feeling a nervous jitter go through him and butterflies in his stomach. He couldn’t help but play with his rolled up sleeves a little on the way down, each step making him more excited than ever.

Clover was standing there facing away from the stairs but Qrow saw his sleeves. Clover had some sleeves on. It was bizarre to say the least. Qrow couldn’t help but look him up and down, his eyes taking quite the liking to his posterior. Clover really knew how to pick out good clothing for himself.

_The gods really did bestow this man with perfection...that’s damn rude._

As soon as Qrow reached the bottom of the stairs Clover turned his away, immediately Qrow’s face turned from smug to shocked. He knew Clover looked good from the back but he had no clue he would look this damn good from the front. His heart raced as his eyes flicked down for a slight second before looking at his eyes directly.

Clover’s hair was a slight mess and was pushed to the front and it just framed his face so well and his _sleeves_ were just...they were slightly rolled, not to his elbows like Qrow’s was but just enough to make him drool over the man...and his pants….Qrow had only seen him in shorts but now..

“ _W-woah.._ ”

“W-What?”

“Uh..you look great…”

Qrow was not expecting to hear that from Clover at all even if he tried to look his best but not _THAT_ type of reaction. He felt his cheeks redden as he grew shy. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to look Clover straight in the eye, noticing how star struck he was before finally looking away.

“You...You look...good..”

He felt more than his words could convey at the moment. He himself was star struck. Both were silent, staring at each other with so much love and adoration.

Qrow opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t. So did Clover.   
.  
.  
In the midst of silence, Qrow’s phone rang, scaring the both of them out of their trance.

“I..I think I need to take that…sorry..” 

“Uh yeah..sure...go ahead..” 

Qrow scrambled outside the house with his breathing hitched, a little stunned still before he looked down at his phone to see who was contacting him.

_Summer….welp, here we go._


End file.
